“Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company” opened its branch in Komsomolsk in 2005, and since that time continues assembling Superjet SSJ-100 at local aircraft construction giant. By pilots, it is a good airplane – convenient, easy manageable, but seems like still not brought to perfection. Therefore Aeroflot did not want to get SSJ a long time, preferring to fly on foreign crafts and getting some governmental fee even for ready airplanes, staying on the ground. One obvious problem of SSJ-100 is initial deep dependence on the foreign parts. Engine factory was created specially for it in France, as well as Michelin line for wheels. One of the key problems for it is chassis support, which damaged fuel tank at the landing in 2019 and caused deadly disaster. Trials of Russian engine PD-8, designated to replace French one and cost almost twice more, got failed, and experts consider it has a little chance to be whenever certified. After earlier disaster in 2012 Indonesian Kartika Airlines terminated its contract on purchase 30 crafts, in 2018 European CityJet also refused to exploit SSJ-100. Russian Red Wings, refused from SSJ in 2016, was in 2020 enforced by the government to exploit it.
Test flights of two “import-free” SSJ-100 New aircrafts with Russian engines PD-8 started on early 2025. SSJ-100 New is actually new machine, target to slowly replace France dependent ones with SaM146 engine of “Snecma”. After 2026, when demand on Russian crafts will become crucial thanks to the loss of imported ones, Russian United Air Corporation (UAC) plan achieve production level of 30 liners a year. Two import-free super-jets already came to the test station at aircraft construction giant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur since their engines PD-8 came from Rybinsk. During 2025 new aircrafts will conduct about 200 test flights. Actually, new engine required to create quite new airplane with 40 new systems and aggregates, different by size, construction, service and repair conditions.
There are 46 basic Russian suppliers for SSJ-100 New, which involve about 20000 factories over the country. Moscow produce avionics, StPetersburg – fuel equipment and hydraulics, Rybinsk – engines, chassis parts are produced in Kazan, Samara and Barnaul. Simultaneously serial production of SSJ-100 New is being developed at the “Yakovlev” center in Komsomolsk air complex with test station. Now 20 machines are here on different stages. UAC plans to deliver 6 new engines this year, and 44 in 2026, which will be enough to deliver 22 aircrafts. Further production mean 30 crafts a year.
But, exploiting of the old liners SSJ-100 with French engines will continue thanks to organized service and parts production, like spark plugs and fuel filters, which were formerly simply cleaned and re-used, increasing risks. During 3 years Russian engineers increased by 5 times number of parts as subject for local service, up to 311 ones. 214 components are replaced by national analogues. Industry is hardly enforced to do it, despite outrageous costs, to soften upcoming deficit of aircrafts in 2026: now air sits occupancy rate exceeds 90 %. For example, to adapt Russian avionics and engine to most popular Airbus 320 costs about a half of project of the new aircraft.
Test flights of two “import-free” SSJ-100 New aircrafts with Russian engines PD-8 started on early 2025. SSJ-100 New is actually new machine, target to slowly replace France dependent ones with SaM146 engine of “Snecma”. After 2026, when demand on Russian crafts will become crucial thanks to the loss of imported ones, Russian United Air Corporation (UAC) plan achieve production level of 30 liners a year. Two import-free super-jets already came to the test station at aircraft construction giant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur since their engines PD-8 came from Rybinsk. During 2025 new aircrafts will conduct about 200 test flights. Actually, new engine required to create quite new airplane with 40 new systems and aggregates, different by size, construction, service and repair conditions.
There are 46 basic Russian suppliers for SSJ-100 New, which involve about 20000 factories over the country. Moscow produce avionics, StPetersburg – fuel equipment and hydraulics, Rybinsk – engines, chassis parts are produced in Kazan, Samara and Barnaul. Simultaneously serial production of SSJ-100 New is being developed at the “Yakovlev” center in Komsomolsk air complex with test station. Now 20 machines are here on different stages. UAC plans to deliver 6 new engines this year, and 44 in 2026, which will be enough to deliver 22 aircrafts. Further production mean 30 crafts a year.
But, exploiting of the old liners SSJ-100 with French engines will continue thanks to organized service and parts production, like spark plugs and fuel filters, which were formerly simply cleaned and re-used, increasing risks. During 3 years Russian engineers increased by 5 times number of parts as subject for local service, up to 311 ones. 214 components are replaced by national analogues. Industry is hardly enforced to do it, despite outrageous costs, to soften upcoming deficit of aircrafts in 2026: now air sits occupancy rate exceeds 90 %. For example, to adapt Russian avionics and engine to most popular Airbus 320 costs about a half of project of the new aircraft.